Innovative compact hybrid storage systems for low energy buildings
Author: regis.decorme@r2msolution.com
R2M Solution is an integrated and multi-disciplinary consulting company that aggressively targets filling the gap between research activities and market implementation. We excel at helping companies grow and acting as an accelerator for bringing technologies and services to the market across the fields of Innovation Management, Engineering, Energy, and ICT/Automation. We invest in opportunities, conduct research, and offer pure engineering, energy services, and ICT consulting services. We actively seek spinoff creation opportunities, showcase promising technologies and build clusters for their uptake.
Our partner AIT – the Austrian Institute of Technology – contributed to a national workshop on Thursday, 26th of November 2020, at the ENOVA-conference.
The aim of the workshop was to identify and rank market barriers for “comfort climate boxes” (integrated heat pump solutions) with national stakeholders. This work is part of the IEA HPT Annex 55, where HYBUILD was already presented back in June this year.
The HYBUILD Continental System was presented as part of the contribution to this event.
On 29th October 2020, HYBUILD organised and contributed to the largest workshop of Sustainable Places 2020 with 14 other sister-projects. Watch again the recording of this session !
On 29th October 2020, HYBUILD participated to the Integrated Storage Systems for Residential Buildings workshop at Sustainable Places 2020. Watch again the session !
HYBUILD coordinator COMSA has developed simplified BIM models of the Spanish Almatret demo site to support the installation of the hybrid storage system which is progressing.
Almatret Installation – 3D-rendering (1)
Almatret Installation – 3D-rendering (2)
Almatret Installation – 3D-rendering (3)
Almatret Installation – 3D-rendering (4)
Almatret Installation – 3D-rendering (5)
Almatret Installation – 3D-rendering (6)
Follow the progress of the Spanish installation as well as the 2 other HYBUILD pilot sites in Cyprus and Austria on their photo albums here.
It is still time to join us at Sustainable Places by registering here !
HYBUILD is proud to have led the organisation of the Renewable Heating and Cooling Solutions for Buildings and Industry Workshop, in cooperation with 14 other sister-projects.
HYBUILD will also contribute to the Integrated Storage for Residential Buildings workshop led by the Ministor project.
A new journal paper presenting HYBUILD results has been released in the Energies journal.
The area-proportional baseline method generates phase fraction–temperature curves from heat capacity data of phase change materials. The curves describe the continuous conversion from solid to liquid over an extended temperature range. They are consistent with the apparent heat capacity and enthalpy modeling approach for the numerical solution of heat transfer problems. However, the curves are non-smooth, discrete signals. They are affected by noise in the heat capacity data and should not be used as input to continuous simulation models. This contribution proposes an alternative method based on spline approximation for the generation of consistent and smooth phase fraction–temperature, apparent heat capacity–temperature and enthalpy–temperature curves. Applications are presented for two commercial paraffins from Rubitherm GmbH considering heat capacity data from Differential Scanning Calorimetry and 3-layer-calorimetry. Apparent heat capacity models are validated for melting experiments using a compact heat exchanger. The best fitting models and the most efficient numerical solutions are obtained for heat capacity data from 3-layer-calorimetry using the proposed spline approximation method. Because of these promising results, the method is applied to melting data of all 44 Rubitherm paraffins. The computer code of the corresponding phase transition models is provided in the Supplementary Information.
The conservation and rehabilitation of buildings of vernacular architecture is a sustainable approach, not only because it leaves a small ecological footprint, compared to the erection of new buildings, but also due to the passive bioclimatic design features integrated in vernacular buildings. This paper will investigate the thermal performance of vernacular architecture in lowland area in diverse climatic contexts.
HYBUILD demo site in Aglantzia, Cyprus
The findings of the current research are based on an on-site investigation carried out in a representative vernacular building that is going to be upgraded to a hands-on technology exhibition area of renewable energy systems complimented with visual means to enhance the experience of visitors under a Research European Programme (Horizon 2020). The current study provides a basis for the formulation of a site-specific design strategy to improve thermal conditions and achieve energy conservation within lowland constructions in diverse climatic conditions. Understanding and analysing the thermal behaviour of these spaces is the first step towards this strategy. The quantitative analysis reveals the various challenges faced and opportunities provided by lowland structures and contributes to informing current design policies. Moreover, the analysis will inform the sizing of the technical systems throughout the year.
Work is ongoing at the Langenwang Austrian pilot, to prepare the installation of the HYBUILD hybrid storage system.
The continental climate system will be installed at this pilot site. The maximum heating power consumption expected after the foreseen retrofitting operations is 10 kW. The following technologies will be applied in the building: PV, PCM thermal latent storage, Heat pump.
Drone flight for PV planningCooling ceiling installationElectrical preparation for PV integrationPreparation for the heat pump outdoor unitTechnical room entrance
One of the main limitations for the wide diffusion of sorption systems, either as stand-alone and in hybrid configurations, is the low heat transfer inside the adsorber, as well as the low volumetric cooling power.
In this context, HYBUILD partners (CNR ITAE, AKG, Fahrenheit and Mikrometal) have just released a new scientific paper which reports the experimental activity on four different advanced configurations for the adsorber, based on microchannel heat exchangers where the gap between the channels is filled with porous structures where zeotypes of SAPO-34 family were synthetized.
The porous structures evaluated are high-density fins, two different aluminium foams and compressed chips from the waste of aluminium machining. The sorption dynamic and cooling power density of each structure were measured through a Gravimetric Large Temperature Jump testing apparatus.
Detail of the structures used in the adsorbers. (a) chips; (b) foam#2
The results obtained showed that the best-performing configuration is the one with high-density fins, that, for a 90/30/20 °C cycle showed a Specific Cooling Power up to 1.1 kW/kg. The other structures exhibit a much slower adsorption process, corresponding to power densities of about 0.3 kW/kg. The results were used for sizing a full-scale adsorber, whose expected Volumetric Cooling Power is 500 kW/m3.
This paper experimentally investigates the direct integration of 3.15 kg of phase change materials (PCM) into a standard vapour compression system of variable cooling capacity, through an innovative lab-scale refrigerant-PCM-water heat exchanger (RPW-HEX), replacing the conventional evaporator. Its performance was studied in three operating modes: charging, discharging, and direct heat transfer between the three fluids. In the charging mode, a maximum energy of 300 kJ can be stored in the PCM for the cooling capacity at 30% of the maximum value. By doubling the cooling power, the duration of charging is reduced by 50%, while the energy stored is only reduced by 13%. In the discharging mode, the process duration is reduced from 25 min to 9 min by increasing the heat transfer fluid (HTF) flow rate from 50 L·h−1 to 150 L·h−1. In the direct heat transfer mode, the energy stored in the PCM depends on both the cooling power and the HTF flow rate, and can vary from 220 kJ for a cooling power at 30% and HTF flow rate of 50 L·h−1 to 4 kJ for a compressor power at 15% and a HTF flow rate of 150 L·h−1. The novel heat exchanger is a feasible solution to implement latent energy storage in vapour compression systems resulting to a compact and less complex system.
